


Boo Bear

by sebastian2017



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Nicknames, Winter boo Bear, slight crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:53:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22442101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sebastian2017/pseuds/sebastian2017
Summary: Steve accidentally uses one of his more embarrassing nicknames for Bucky in front of the team.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 8
Kudos: 102
Collections: Stucky Bingo 2019





	Boo Bear

**Author's Note:**

> For the square 'Winter Boo Bear' in the Stucky Bingo. Enjoy!

Steve is playing in a dangerous territory. He's entirely aware of this. It's a risky game he plays. He doesn't bother fooling himself otherwise. But it's worth it, no doubt. High risk, high reward. That's what Steve tells himself every time he does it, every time he forsakes common sense and puts his life at risk. Every time he calls Bucky 'boo bear'. 

He can't help it. The nickname had snuck out early one morning, when he'd still been half asleep, and Bucky had blushed so adorably at it, that Steve couldn't help but immediately make it his most common nickname for him. Bucky is absolutely mortified by it. He's a ghost story, an internationally known assassin, he always says, not the sort of person to be coddled and called boo bear. Steve is always just happy to ignore him. Why not? He's a living legend, an internationally known superhero, so if anyone's going to call the Winter Soldier so ridiculous a nickname, it's fitting it should be him. 

Besides, Steve enjoys being able to embarrass Bucky in sweet, harmless ways like this. If he thought Bucky really minded, or it was making him unhappy, he'd stop in a heartbeat. But he suspects that Bucky's just a bit embarrassed by how out of place it seems to sound, or because he thinks that he's undeserving of sweet little affections like that. So he keeps doing it, rejoicing in Bucky's blushes and embarrassed grumbling every time. 

Really, Steve doesn't mean to do it in public. He likes being sweet with Bucky like that in private and seeing him flustered, but he usually does nothing of the sort in public. He's just gotten so used to saying it, that it slips out without meaning to one day when they're with the team, looking over a debriefing together. 

"Would you pass me that file there, boo bear?" Steve asks, gesturing to something over on Bucky's side of the table. 

And oh. He realizes what he said just a second too late. As soon as it's out of his mouth, he regrets it. Briefly, he hopes that no one had noticed. But nope. Of course not. Bucky is tense at can be, staring at him wide eyed. He's not even as embarrassed as he usually is, just completely caught off guard that Steve would even say it out loud. Everyone else has stopped what they're doing as well, instead alternating between gaping at Steve and staring at Bucky. 

"I'm sorry. Did you just call Robocop here  _ boo bear _ ?" Tony asks, holding back a snicker. "Oh, man, I'm never letting this one go." 

"Tony," Steve warns, frowning. "It was an accident. It just slipped out. I don't even call Bucky that." 

It feels like a terrible lie and it clearly is, because Sam barks out a disbelieving laugh. "No way. Did you see the way Barnes tensed up? The face of a man who’s heard that one before and was hoping it would never hear the light of day." 

"C'mon. Tell us the truth, Cap," Clint insists. "Is Bucky your little boo bear? Is it because he cuddles like a teddy bear or because he has a mean streak like a bear?" 

Steve glances at Bucky, who still hasn't said a word and looks more than a little uncomfortable, and then back over to his teammates. He glares them down as though he were filming an old Cap PSA instead of talking with some of his closest friends. "That's enough out of all of you. We're meant to be preparing for a mission. Not gossiping." 

He says it in a way that is very clear there'll be no discussing it. Tony still tries to poke and prod a while longer, mumbling a few things to himself, but the rest of the team drops it, and even give Tony warning glances when he keeps it up. At least, they finish their meeting on time and are still on schedule to leave early the next morning. That's one good thing. 

Steve doesn't get a chance to talk to Bucky in private until they've gotten back to their apartment, though. Carpooling with Sam to meetings seems like a great idea most of the time, but moments like this, Steve wishes he and Bucky had their own car for the privacy. Bucky doesn't look nearly as bothered now, a couple of hours later, but still. Steve worries. 

When they get upstairs, Steve's only just closed the door before he goes and wraps his arms around Bucky. He leans down to kiss his head and murmurs against his hair, "You good?" 

"I'm a tough fella. Can handle a little embarrassment here and there," Bucky promises. "Tough as a bear, some might say." 

"Ridiculous fella, is what you are." Steve snorts out a laugh. Bucky must really feel better if he's making jokes about it. 

"Ridiculous fella for a ridiculous nickname. It fits, I think," he explains. 

"Sorry for slipping up. Hopefully, they won't bring it up again after this or have it turn into a running joke or something." Steve shudders at the thought of it. He has his own experience with being at the receiving end of an Avengers running joke, back when he'd been fresh from the ice, and it's not very fun an experience. And he hadn't even had a fraction of the extra baggage Bucky does. 

"Let's not kid ourselves, Stevie. We both know they will. I'll be alright, though. How about we just... make it a rule that we don't go around saying it in front of the press, huh?" Bucky suggests, leaning up to kiss Steve's cheek and then going to forage through the kitchen for something quick or already made. 

"I'll talk to them about it. I'll pull out the Captain voice," he promises. "Works every time." 

Bucky laughs. "Honestly, Stevie... I'm more worried about you slipping up in front of someone important. Like in an interview or something like that." 

"Oh." Steve frowns. He wishes he could say that it's a ridiculous fear and he would never do that, but truth be told, it would be just one more in a long list of Steve's media gaffes. 

"Eh, I love you, big mouth and all," Bucky chuckles. "You were putting your foot in your mouth way back before everyone was trying to listen. I knew what I was signing up for. Besides. I like being your boo bear. Even if it is horrifically embarrassing sometimes." 

"You  _ love  _ being my boo bear, huh?" Steve asks, grinning at him, because as Bucky is fond of reminding him, he's an annoying prick, so he takes this as another opportunity to lovingly tease Bucky, instead being grateful like he should. 

Bucky rolls his eyes. "In private. Between us. Don't get any ideas, punk." 

"The words were already put out there, Buck. You can't take them back now." Steve winks at him and goes to toss himself across the couch while Bucky handles dinner. "How exciting. I can't wait to tell everyone else that you're my boo bear and you love it." 

"You're the worst, Rogers. I can't believe I ever chose to marry you. I'm going to need some embarrassing pet name for you, too, so I can give as good as I get," Bucky warns. 

"Good luck. I'm not embarrassed of anything," Steve reminds him. 

"I wish you were joking, but I'm all too aware you are. Stupid punk." 

"Yeah, love you too, boo bear." 

**Author's Note:**

> as always, comments are loved and appreciated <3


End file.
